Patents Examined by Jill DeMello
  • Patent number: 5551897
    Abstract: An electrical contact is provided which includes an upper and lower bifurcated beam having contact areas which are staggered. The beams extend from a bridging portion from which outer enclosing members also extend. The outer enclosing members protect the beams from damage, and the sides of the beams are open to facilitate insertion of a blade terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: OSRAM Sylvania Inc.
    Inventor: K. Troy Alwine
  • Patent number: 5551895
    Abstract: The adapter has a 3-contact medium base. Two "hot" or phase conductor contacts, black wires, and a neutral screw shell with two leads, white wires. A black and a white wire is connected to one medium base lampholder, and a black and white wire is connected to the second medium base lampholder. The lampholders are attached to the main body with extension arms made of flexible steel. Steel locknuts and nipples connect the arms to the main body and the lampholders to the arms.The main body is made of plastic with the 3-contact medium base at the end. Wires in the main body come out the top to the two lampholders that would hold compact fluorescent lamps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Domenick A. Calbi
    Inventor: Domenick Calbi
  • Patent number: 5551885
    Abstract: A connector system requiring a small force for connecting a pair of connectors by use of a connecting operation lever in which a female connector is accommodated within an accommodating frame including flexible side walls provided with pivots and a male connector is then connected to the female connector within the frame. The connecting operation lever includes: drive plates having pivot holes engaging with pivots of the frame; introducing tapered portions disposed on ends of the inner surface of the drive plate for introducing the pivots; connection guide grooves for guiding the pivots into the pivot holes; and separation-preventing plates arranged outside the side walls of the frame to engage with the ends of the drive plates. Thus, it is possible to obtain the connector system in which the lever is easily fixed to the connector-accommodating frame and the connection of both components are secured once they are connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Yamanashi, Nobuyuki Akeda
  • Patent number: 5547395
    Abstract: A termination arrangement for a coaxial cable comprises a dimensionally heat-recoverable sleeve that encloses a connecting element for the screen of the cable and a quantity of solder for forming a permanent electrical connection between the connecting element and the cable screen. The connecting element has a generally cylindrical portion whose diameter is capable of changing and which is held in a state of larger diameter by the solder and/or the sleeve, the element changing to a smaller diameter state when the sleeve is recovered. In use, the arrangement is positioned over a coaxial cable which has been prepared so as to expose an appropriate length of the central conductor, dielectric and screen. when the sleeve is recovered, the solder fuses and the connecting element contracts around the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1996
    Assignee: Raychem S.A.
    Inventor: Jean C. Delamotte
  • Patent number: 5545048
    Abstract: A waterproof connector is provided in which a waterproof packing can be secured quickly and easily to create a water tight seal. The waterproof packing is formed into a frusto-conical configuration and an inner diameter of a rear end thereof is larger than an outer diameter of at least a front end of an inner tubular portion of a female connector housing. The female connector housing includes an outer tubular portion and an inner tubular portion, and terminal receiving chambers are formed in the inner tubular portion. Retaining pawls are formed on an inner surface of the outer tubular portion at a rear end thereof, and openings are formed adjacent to the respective retaining pawls. The outer surface of the inner tubular portion is tapered and decreases in diameter toward the front end thereof, and the waterproof packing is fitted on this outer surface. With this construction, the fitting and securing of the waterproof packing on the inner tubular portion can be effected easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1996
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Maeda
  • Patent number: 5540594
    Abstract: This invention is directed to an improved elastomeric connector. The connector typically includes an elongated elastomeric core, having a substantially uniform cross section throughout its length, and a flexible film having electrical circuitry thereon for electrically interconnecting a pair of members having complementary electrical circuitry on its surface. The flexible film is wrapped about and supported by the elastomeric core to form the connector. In use the connector may be subjected to a compressive force to effect the electrical interconnection. The improved feature hereof is the provision of the wrapped and supported film defining a predetermined planar area, and that the area of the elastomeric core within the planar area is no more than about 90% of the planar area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1996
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: Donnie B. Collins, Warren A. Bates
  • Patent number: 5538443
    Abstract: A bulb socket has a socket main body and a pair of bulb clamping pieces for holding a base of a bulb. The bulb clamping pieces have projection pieces formed by cutting out and raised up so that not only the base of the bulb is clamped by the bulb clamping pieces by resiliency, but also the edges of the clamping pieces bite into and catch leads raised and bent along the base. Alternatively, a first holding portion and a second holding portion are provided in each of clamping pieces to hold a base of the bulb by way of two-point support by the first and second holding portion of each of the clamping pieces. As a result, the bulb holding force is so increased as to reliably prevent the bulb from being detached from the bulb socket even if the bulb is located at a position susceptible to impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1996
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nori Inoue, Hitoshi Takanashi
  • Patent number: 5538447
    Abstract: An electrical connector with a C-shaped sleeve and a one-piece wedge. The wedge has two opposite ends adapted to sandwich conductors against the sleeve and a center section. The center section has outwardly laterally bowed sections. The bowed sections are sequentially oppositely outwardly bowed along the length of the wedge. The wedge is preferably formed from an extruded or formed I-beam shaped member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1996
    Assignee: Burndy Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Chadbourne, William J. Lasko
  • Patent number: 5533910
    Abstract: An electrical connector, or coupling, includes a connecting lug (1) formed as a tongue-shaped metal plate which has a substantially slit-shaped recess (3) for receiving a wire. In an area of the recess a stamping is made in the connecting lug (1). By these means also wires with particularly small cross sections can be coupled to the connecting lug (1) by a force fit (friction) and a shape-interlock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: Hella KG Hueck & Co.
    Inventors: Andre Korner, Reinhard Wostmann
  • Patent number: 5533908
    Abstract: An electrical connector (10) is disclosed having an improved securing member (16) that serves to accurately position the connector on a circuit board (14), to secure the connector thereto, and to latchingly engage a mating connector (12) to hold the two connectors in mated engagement. The securing member (16) includes a U-shaped portion (60) that straddles an outer wall (46) of the connector housing (20), one side (62) of the U-shaped portion extending through an opening (42) in the housing and through a hole (92) in the circuit board (14). The other side (64) of the U-shaped portion extends along the outside of the outer wall (46) and terminates in a mounting foot (70) that extends outwardly at right angles thereto. The mounting foot (70) is soldered to a metalized mounting pad (90) on the circuit board (14). Latch projections (78, 80) extend from the U-shaped portion (60) inwardly into an opening (30) in the connector housing (20) that receives the end (32) of the mating connector (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: Randall R. Henry, William P. Moyer, David A. Skotek
  • Patent number: 5531604
    Abstract: An electric connector including a base block with two opposite slideways that receive tongues on a flexible cover plate. The connector further includes a plurality of terminals each of which is inserted into grooves in said base block. Upper connecting ends of the terminals form two parallel rows. The cover plate protects the terminals form being dislodged when a male connector or IC card is plugged into the connector. The cover plate also prevents dirt and water vapor from adhering to the terminals to negatively affect the performance of the electric connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Inventor: Huang C. Huang
  • Patent number: 5531611
    Abstract: A connector module for use in a local area network having a plurality of workstations in connection with a hub, wherein each workstation is hard wired to a printed circuit board mounted in the module. The module further includes a wiring assembly connected to the board and a cable leading from the hub. The face of the panel includes a plurality of jacks mounted therein, which are also electrically connected to the printed circuit board. Initially, workstations are electrically connected to the hub through the wiring assembly, which is preferably a twisted pair flat cable. Alternately, the wiring assembly may be disconnected from the board, and an upgraded hub interconnected with the workstations through the jacks in the face of the module with minimal re-wiring required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Thomas & Betts Corporation
    Inventors: Steven J. Reed, Scott T. Davies, Robert L. Wallgren, George R. Wojtan
  • Patent number: 5529518
    Abstract: An electrical contact assembly has an elongated body portion and a sleeve member that has a head provided thereon. The body portion includes a socket, disposed at one end of the body portion, for receiving a pin contact. The head of the sleeve member has an enlarged opening for guiding the pin contact into the socket. The sleeve member also provides an important covering over side wall openings in the socket to prevent intrusion of nonconductive molten material during pressure molding of an electrical connector that may have one or more of the electrical contact assemblies encapsulated therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1996
    Assignee: Tescorp Seismic Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard G. Wood
  • Patent number: 5529535
    Abstract: A backplate and socket assembly wherein the backplate includes a first substantially rigid panel and a second substantially rigid panel. The panels each include a plurality of apertures which are aligned with each other. The plurality of conductors are disposed between the first and second panels and are sealed therebetween. The conductors include a plurality of contact pads which extend into the first apertures. A plurality of lamp sockets are respectively disposed in the plurality of first and second apertures. Each lamp socket includes a contact for electrically contacting respective contact pads. Seals are provided between the lamp sockets and the first panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1996
    Assignee: Zanxx, Inc.
    Inventor: John A. Forish
  • Patent number: 5527187
    Abstract: A circuit board for an instrument cluster comprises injection-molded plastic springs connecting islands of the circuit board to a main portion of the circuit board. Each island further has integrally-molded clips residing in the plane of the island. The clips are adapted for insertion and retention of terminals of electrical gauge movements. When the electrical gauge movements are attached to the circuit board via the clips, the springs provide compliance so that the gauge movements can then be attached to one or more face plates of the instrument cluster. The compliance provided by the springs allows tolerance stack-ups among the various components of the instrument cluster assembly to be overcome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Gordan Jurasek, Douglas P. Gerrelts, Victor V. Zaderej
  • Patent number: 5525076
    Abstract: A connector (20, 90) for securing the end of a coaxial cable (30, 140) to a selected device in a cable transmission system includes an outer member (40, 60, 92), a coupling member (23, 107) attached to an end thereof, and a securement means for mechanically and sealably engaging coaxial cable (30, 140).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1996
    Assignee: Gilbert Engineering
    Inventor: William J. Down
  • Patent number: 5520549
    Abstract: The invention provides a connector for connecting a branch conductor to an insulated double core cable without cutting the cable or stripping the insulation from the cable. The connector includes a connecting element adapted to pierce the cable insulation to contact the conducting core and a insulative wedge adjacent the connecting element which pierces the cable insulation to maintain the conductive cores of the cable apart from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Tanaka, Tomio Tsukazaki
  • Patent number: 5518427
    Abstract: A pin-header comprises a one-piece molded insulator and metal pins extending through the insulator. One surface of the insulator has a first recess having and a plurality of second recesses are provided each at an area between the inner wall surface of an insertion hole and the outer peripheral surface of the pin with each pin inserted in the insertion hole. A sealant is filled in the first and second recesses of the insulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Meng Kuang Kan, Nam Fong Chew
  • Patent number: 5518428
    Abstract: A shield connector has a double retainment mechanism used for electric wirings of automobiles, and the object thereof is to provide a shield connector that is highly reliable and excellent in operability. Retaining arms for a terminal are arranged on a terminal housing so as to be erectable; in the retaining arms, a retaining projection having a tapered portion is arranged; the terminal housing having the terminal received in a terminal receiving chamber primarily retained by a retaining strip arranged on the terminal receiving chamber is inserted into an inner sleeve of a housing cover; whereby the tapered portion comes in contact with a guide slope arranged in the inner sleeve of the housing cover and is urged to thereby cause the retaining arms to fall down. As a result, the retaining projection gets fitted into a retaining portion of the terminal, so that the terminal can be doubly retained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Onoda
  • Patent number: 5518425
    Abstract: A socket assembly which includes a socket, an annular positioner and two leaf conductors. The socket includes two slots defined in a bottom and a groove defined in an internal surface. The annular positioner includes an opening defined therein and a ridge formed on an external surface. The ridge is received in the groove when the annular positioner is received in the socket to restrain rotation of the annular positioner with respect to the socket. The leaf conductors are inserted through the slots. One of the leaf conductors includes an upper tip inserted through the opening to be retained between the socket and the annular positioner to prevent bending thereof and engagement between the leaf conductors when a bulb is received in the socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Inventor: George Tsai